Soap dish



Jf W. RENO SOAP DISH Jan. 12, 1932.

Filed Nov. 15, 1928 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 12, 1932 UNITED STATES JESSE W. RENO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SOAP DISH Application filed November 15, 1928.

This invention relates to a container, such as a soap dish, so made that the article, for instance, the soap, is supported above the bottom of the container so that it may drain.

Soap dishes of this type are usually made with ridges in the bottom of the dish to support the soap, and the prior art shows cords or a fabric used to support the soap above the bottom of the dish. Such arrangements are unsatisfactory, however, because the ridges do not permit the soap to drain properly and the fabric holds water which prevents the bottom of the cake of soap from drying and the cords cut into the wet soap when it rests on them.

The soap dish of the present invention overcomes these defects. A plurality of rather wide and waterproof supports extend between the upstanding sides of the shell of the dish and support the soap above the bottom. As the supports are rather wide there is no tendency for them to out into the wet soap, and the soap can readily be removed from the supports at all times. The supports are waterproof so that they do not hold moisture, and therefore the bottom of the wet cake of soap dries very readily. The supports are preferably spaced from each other sufficiently for a person to touch the bottom of the dish with his finger inserted between the supports so that the bottom of the dish may easily be reached for cleaning, and this spacing gives a good circulation of air under the bottom of the cake of soap so that the soap dries very readily. Furthermore, the supports are elastic so that the soap may readily be removed from them, and when the dish is to be washed they readily yield when a person inserts his fingers between them and moves his fingers to wash the bottom ofthe dish. Not only are the sup ports non-absorbent and water repellent, but they are made of a material which does not stick to the soap so that the soap can readily be removed, not only because of the elasticity of the supports, but also because the soap does not adhere to them. The upstanding sides of the dish have notches or grooves or depressions or other means in which the supports are seated so that the supports remain Serial No. 319,550.

in properly spaced relation. The supports are made of a non-friction material and extend under the bottom of the dish so that the dish rests on them, and by this arrangement the dish is prevented from slipping on the wash stand or shelf upon which it rests and, at the same time, the elasticity of the supports provides a resilient support for the soap dish.

Other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

The drawings illustrate in section and elevation a preferred form of the invention and embody the broad principles thereof. Itis to be understood, however, that the accoinpanying drawings and the following specification are to be considered merely as illus trating one form of the invention and not as in any way limiting the invention to the exact form hereby shown and described.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a soap dish made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken lengthwise of the dish, cutting across each of the supports.

Fig. 3 is a section of the dish taken longitudinally through one of the supports, showing, in dotted lines, a cake of soap.

Fi 4 is a side view of a slightly modified form of dish.

As illustrated herein, the container comprises a shell 1 having upstanding sides 2 so arranged that there is a depression 3 to catch the water or other liquid which drains from the article, such as the cake of soap 4.

A plurality of supports 5 for the article extend between the upstanding sides of the shell to support the article 4: above the bottom of the depression in the shell. The supports 5 are preferably comparatively wide rubber bands which extend between the sides 2 of the shell at some distance above the bottom so that an appreciable space remains into which the liquid may drain from the ar ticle resting on the supports. As the rubber bands are comparatively wide, there is no tendency for them to work up or cut into col the bottom of a wet cake of soap which is placed on them, and the soap does not stick to the rubber so that the soap may easily be separated from the rubber bands. As the bands are elastic the soap may readily be removed from the dish by pressing down on one side of the cake of soap. The elastic bands permit one side of the cake of soap to be pressed down, and when this happens the other side of the cake extends upwardly in a slanting direction so that it may readily be grasped, even though it may have become very thin.

The upstanding sides of the dish are preferably provided with depressions or grooves or notches 6 in which are seated the supports 5. The depressions 6 are preferably spaced a sufficient distance apart so that a person can insert his fingers between the supports to touch the bottom of the dish. In this way the dish can easily be cleaned by merely holding the dish under a water faucet and then inserting the fingers in the spaces between the rubber bands and moving the fingers to wash out the dish. As the supports are flexible bands which are yieldable, the fingers may readily be moved in any direction to thoroughly clean the bottom of the dish and after the fingers are removed the flexible bands resume their original positions. The supports may, however, be spaced any desired distance, but it has beenfound that if they are spaced sufficiently to permit a persons fingers to be inserted between them, the dish may readily be cleaned and the spaces are such as to permit such a circulation of air as will readily dry the bottom ofthe cake of soap. The depressions hold the rubber bands in the desired spaced relation bridging the space between the upstanding sides of the shell.

From the tops of the upstanding sides, or from the depressions 6 if the dish is made with such depressions, the rubber bands extend at 7 along the sides of the dish and down underneath it. The parts 8 of the bands which extend underneath the dish form a resilient support for the dish and also prevent the dish from slipping on the wash stand or shelf, because the rubber bands are of friction material which prevents the. dish from slipping. Grooves 9 at the base of the sides 2 of the dish extend from the sides to the bottom. These grooves may or may not be formed in the dish. They serve to prevent abrasion of the rubber bands where the bands pass beneath the dish, and also serve to hold the bottom portions 8 of the bands in the proper position beneath the dish. Soap dishes usually rest on wash stands which are, at the present time, usually made of rather expensive glazed porcelain, and soap dishes are usually made of materials which, if they rest directly on the porcelain, finally scratch and otherwise mar it. With the dish herein disclosed, the bottom of the dish is supported above the wash stand by the portions 8 of the rubber bands, and thus the soap dish is prevented from marring the wash stand.

The dish shown in Fig. 4 is substantially identical with the dish shown in the other figures, the only difference being that the depressions 6 open at the top through small passageways 10 which prevent the rubber bands from being dislodged very readily from the depressions. Obviously, any type of grooves or other means to space the rubber bands may be used, but some form of groove is preferably used in order that the soap, when it rests on the supports 5, will be below the level of the top of the sides of the dish.

The simplicity of the invention and its adaptability to everyday household use will immediately be appreciated. The shell may be made of any suitable material such as metal, porcelain, china, or moulded glass or other material which may readily be cleaned. The shell will not wear out and, if made of breakable material, will probably not be broken unless it is dropped, but the breakage, even under these circumstances, will be decreased because the resilient rubber bands will serve somewhat as shock absorbers should the dish fall on its bottom or on either of the sides which are protected by the rubber bands. The rubber bands will, of course, deteriorate after extended use, but they may readily be replaced, and it is only necessary to stretch them in order to put them on the dish. After the rubber bands are on the dish their elasticity will, hold them firmly in place. It is therefore obvious that many modifications of the invention may be made and that many forms of the dish shown herein may be designed, and it is to be understood that the invention is to be construed as broadly as the claims taken in conjunction with the prior art, may allow.

I claim l. A container including a shell having upstanding sides with a plurality of spaced depressions and a plurality of yieldable bands seated in the depressions and extending between said sides and' beneaththe shell.

2. A container including a shell having upstanding sides with grooves in the sides at the base thereof extending from the sides to the bottom of the shell, and bands of friction material seated in the grooves and extending around the shell whereby the bands'will extend beneath the shell to support it and prevent it from slipping and will extend between the sides near their upper edges to form a support and hold an article above the bottom of the shell.

3. A device of the character described, including, in combination, a receptacle provided with spaced depressions, rubber bands positioned in said depressions and extending around and beneath said receptacle, whereby the portions of the bands which pass beneath the receptacle prevent slipping of the receptacle when it is placed on a surface.

a. A device of the character described, in-

cluding, in combination, a receptacle having upstanding sides and provided with a plurality of depressions, rubber bands mounted on said receptacle and extending beneath the same, said rubber bands being held in the depressions by being stretched over the receptacle and held under tension.

5. A device of the character described, including, in combination, a dish-shaped receptacle having upstanding sides, said sides being provided with a plurality of spaced depressions, rubber bands positioned in said depressions and extending); around and beneath the receptacle, said depressions being formed with narrow passageways which prevent the rubber bands from being dislodged from said depressions very readily, the portions of the bands which pass beneath the receptacle being adapted to prevent slipping of the receptacle and the top portions of the bands providing a yieldable support for an article.

In testimony that I claim the foregoin have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of November, 1928.

JESSE W. RENO. 

